Prelude vs. Interlude: What's the Difference?

An introductory performance, event, or action preceding a more important one; a preliminary or preface.

An intervening episode, feature, or period of time

A piece or movement that serves as an introduction to another section or composition and establishes the key, such as one that precedes a fugue, opens a suite, or precedes a church service.

A short farcical entertainment performed between the acts of a medieval mystery or morality play.

A similar but independent composition for the piano.

A 16th-century genre of comedy derived from this.

The overture to an oratorio, opera, or act of an opera.

An entertainment between the acts of a play.

A short composition of the 1400s and early 1500s written in a free style, usually for keyboard.

(Music) A short piece inserted between the parts of a longer composition.

To serve as a prelude to.

An intervening episode, etc.

To introduce with or as if with a prelude.

An entertainment between the acts of a play.

To serve as a prelude or introduction.

(music) A short piece put between the parts of a longer composition.

An introductory or preliminary performance or event.

(transitive) To provide with an interlude.

(music) A short, free-form piece of music, originally one serving as an introduction to a longer and more complex piece; later, starting with the Romantic period, generally a stand-alone piece.

A short entertainment exhibited on the stage between the acts of a play, or between the play and the afterpiece, to relieve the tedium of waiting.

(programming) A standard module or library of subroutines and functions to be imported, generally by default, into a program.

A form of English drama or play, usually short, merry, and farcical, which succeeded the Moralities or Moral Plays in the transition to the romantic or Elizabethan drama.

(figurative) A forerunner to anything.

A short piece of instrumental music played between the parts of a song or cantata, or the acts of a drama; especially, in church music, a short passage played by the organist between the stanzas of a hymn, or in German chorals after each line.

To introduce something, as a prelude.

Any intervening period of time, space, etc.; a pause between phases of an activity.

To play an introduction or prelude; to give a prefatory performance.

An intervening period or episode

An introductory performance, preceding and preparing for the principal matter; a preliminary part, movement, strain, etc.; especially (Mus.), a strain introducing the theme or chief subject; a movement introductory to a fugue, yet independent; - with recent composers often synonymous with overture.

A brief show (music or dance etc) performed between the sections of another performance

To play an introduction or prelude; to give a prefatory performance; to serve as prelude.

Perform an interlude;

To introduce with a previous performance; to play or perform a prelude to; as, to prelude a concert with a lively air.

To serve as prelude to; to precede as introductory.

Something that serves as a preceding event or introduces what follows;

Music that precedes a fugue or introduces an act in an opera

Serve as a prelude or opening to

Play as a prelude